Youth Reads Records of the Grand Historian – Reading Report

Brian opens with the question, Why should youth read Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian? He quotes Li Shimin: “With history as a mirror, one can understand the vicissitudes of life.” Brian writes that he believes that reading history allows one to learn about the mistakes of the past so as to not repeat them, such as that of Goujian of the Kingdom of Yue nearly losing his life when ignoring the advice of others. Why read Records of the Grand Historian specifically? Song Dynasty scholars believed that after the Four Books and Five Classics it is a read that cannot be missed. Of the Twenty-Four Histories, Records of the Grand Historian is the only one privately edited, transcribed and altered through by individuals not affiliated with the ruling power dynasties and eras. The Four Books and Five Classics are classics central to Confucianism, and discussing the Records of the Grand Historian among them was high praise from the scholars.

Brian could not put Records of the Grand Historian down, and found the tales of emperors, government officials, and army generals riveting. Leaving the strict format of ancient texts gives readers a sense of immersion within the stories. Reading the flowing text of his essence, Brian feels as if he himself is Sima Qian.